TYLER, Texas — **EDITOR'S NOTE: The video above is concerning wildfire dangers in East Texas and was originally published on March 29, 2022.
A Tyler man is accused of intentionally causing an April 15 house fire that injured a woman after they had an earlier argument, police documents show.
Stanley Wilson, Jr., 36, was taken into custody Wednesday on charges of arson with the intent to damage a habitation/place of worship and two counts of arson reckless damage building/recklessly cause bodily injury or death.
He is being held in the Smith County Jail on $1.8 million bond.
According to the arrest affidavit, the charges stem from a fire that burned down a vacant home on Mockingbird Lane in Tyler on April 15. One woman was injured and later taken to a Dallas hospital because of second-degree burns to her hands and face.
Fire Marshal Paul Findley said the woman has since been released from the hospital. He said the fire also damaged a neighboring house.
The burn victim told officials that Wilson started the fire intentionally to harm her because of an altercation they had earlier in the night, according to the affidavit.
In a phone call, the victim told investigators that she confronted Wilson earlier that night about taking her belongings. He was mad at her, and she said that he knew she was inside the house when the fire started, the document read.
On April 15, when firefighters while responding to the blaze, Wilson was seen walking in the area and he told police officers he was just walking around. He was not arrested at the time, the affidavit stated.
The victim said in the heavy fire, she had to get low to find her way to the front door. When she got out, her jacket that was still on fire, the document explained.
Two days after the fire, Wilson denied that he had any involvement twice to Tyler police officers. He said that he only hangs around the outside of the house at night.
In an interview with police, the affidavit states Wilson implied the burn victim was very careless and she probably started the fire. He also said he didn't know her name.
In surveillance video from a nearby store, Wilson was seen around the backyard of Mockingbird Lane residence before the house fire. Wilson had multiple fires burning in the backyard area, the affidavit read.
